When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

The Cullinan sped through the night. Despite its speed, Marian felt perfectly comfortable—such was the benefit of a high-end car.

At a red light, the vehicle slowed. Aaron's slender fingers rested on the steering wheel. Glancing at her tired face by the window, he felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

He broke the silence. "How long have you been working at Xinruan?"

"Not that long—just over a year."

Aaron nodded slightly and asked, "Are you enjoying it?"

"It's alright."

"'Alright' means not very happy?"

"No. Work isn't my entire life. Whether I'm happy isn't that important; what matters is that it pays."

Aaron fell quiet again. After a moment, he spoke once more. "How's your grandmother's health?"

Marian answered with a simple "Fine."

Seeing she was uninterested in conversation, his expression grew more distant.

Before long, the car arrived at the entrance to Jinxiu Gardens. The rain had stopped completely, and even the wind had stilled. Marian unfastened her seatbelt and got out without giving him another glance. "Thanks, Mr. Fu."

Aaron watched her stubborn figure recede in the rearview mirror, sighed softly, then turned the wheel and drove off.

But after he reached the intersection, as if recalling something, he circled back toward Jinxiu Gardens.

He didn't stop at the gate, though; he continued onward until spotting Marian's silhouette at another intersection up ahead.

Under the warm glow of the streetlamp, he saw her push open the iron gate of an old run-down building. She ascended to the second floor in light steps and slipped inside, closing the door behind her—her exhaustion gone, replaced by a burst of energy.

What a little liar.

Indeed, Marian had lied. She didn't live in Jinxiu Gardens. Instead, she lived in a dilapidated walk-up nearby, an old house slated for demolition. The rent was cheap—just 600 a month for a tiny private unit, something only a place like that could offer.

Marian entered her apartment and changed into simple loungewear before cooking dinner. She usually grabbed breakfast at a convenience store and had lunch at the office, so dinner was the only meal she cooked herself. It was also her sole moment in the day to feel like a real person, to remind herself she was still alive.

After dinner and a quick wash, she curled up in bed to check her phone.

A friend request had come in on WeChat. Tapping on it, she saw it was Aaron.

Marian frowned and hit "ignore," then set her phone aside and tried to read.

Right before bed, she peeked at her phone again—another request from Aaron, this time with a note attached:

"Julian gave me your contact."

Marian ground her teeth and tossed her phone away. Using her boss's authority, was he? Well, she wasn't going to comply.

Early next morning, Marian arrived at work exactly on time. The moment she walked in, a coworker called her to a meeting.

The YuTou project was officially greenlit, with Julian taking full charge of the big deal. He'd finalized the project team just yesterday, and now he'd gathered everyone for a meeting.

By the time the meeting ended, it was almost noon.

As Julian left the conference room, he pointed at Marian. "I gave Mr. Fu your WeChat. Make sure you add him and maintain a good relationship."

Marian's face tensed. She glanced at her phone, noting the unanswered red notification from the night before.

After a brief hesitation, she opened the request and hit "accept."

"Sorry, Mr. Fu, I went to bed early last night—just saw your friend request now."

She followed it up with a few servile emojis to soften the client relationship, then stuffed the phone into her pocket and headed downstairs for lunch.

Any later and there'd be no red-braised ribs left—her favorite.